Ch.7676. Piercing Through

Actually, there was a possibility that my guess could be wrong.

I had only seen the Corpse Collector’s abilities inside the Labyrinth.

I wasn’t sure if the skill that revived monsters from that floor would work the same way once it came to the city.

However.

The wave of monsters pouring around the Corpse Collector showed no signs of stopping.

At this rate, an army of tens of thousands would soon form.

It seemed my worst-case scenario was correct.

“Adel, run away now! I’ll hold them here!”

Kyle drew his sword and rushed forward.

His blade made contact with the monsters and—

-KWANG!

The compressed mana in his blade exploded, sweeping across the battlefield.

‘Killing them will be endless.’

The constantly growing legion was a problem, but the most unreasonable element was something else.

His army would be revived again.

“Kyle! They’ll be reborn even if you kill them! Conserve your strength as much as possible!”

After leaving that minimal advice for him, I tried to move, but—

-Druk, drrruk!

Something burst through the floor.

The Corpse Collector’s summons, undead.

“…It seems they’ve recognized us as enemies too.”

They had completely surrounded us.

Our escape route was blocked.

It was impossible to fight while protecting the injured.

In this situation, I had to give up on everyone escaping.

“Shiro, please.”

“…Adel.”

I readjusted my sword and shield to block the approaching undead.

“I’ll support—”

“—Shiro, don’t support me, just escape!”

Shiro hadn’t started fighting yet.

Perhaps because of that, the undead were only being summoned around me.

‘I can’t go with her.’

The time for role division had come.

Shiro would rescue Sherry while requesting support. To make that happen, I would face the undead.

This wasn’t a noble sacrifice.

We each just had roles we could fulfill.

I hoped Shiro thought the same way, but…

“I’ll lead the undead away to create an escape route! Shiro, use that gap to run!”

“…”

A moment of silence fell.

I was too busy blocking the approaching undead to see her expression.

“Okay, Adel.”

But that brief silence told me everything.

Shiro was feeling guilty.

Buying time through someone’s sacrifice while she escaped again.

‘She’s probably thinking that.’

I’m sorry for making you recall that terrible experience.

That’s why I want to apologize when this is over.

I must survive to do that.

-KWUNG!

I struck them down to create a path for Shiro to escape.

“Block it with ice magic so they can’t follow!”

“…”

Finally, Shiro was able to break through the encirclement.

“Huff…”

I exhaled and looked up. I could see Shiro’s retreating figure.

The endlessly spawning undead blocked my view. I could no longer see Shiro.

Now there was no one around me.

All I could see were countless enemies.

It was truly desperate.

I saw undead rushing to devour me.

I could sense thousands, tens of thousands of their legion that Kyle was barely holding back.

It was so hopeless I wanted to collapse right there.

‘I swing.’

Swoosh. My blade severed two heads.

Simultaneously, dozens rushed from the left.

‘Instantaneous Hardening.’

Applied to my shield, I immediately pushed them back.

-KAANG!

Eight undead disintegrated, pushing back the front line.

“KRAAAK!”

I shoved away those approaching from behind. I swung my sword to the right and blocked the front with my shield.

I struggled as much as I could.

I kept moving constantly.

The demonic blood emanating from the undead penetrated my armor.

My skin melted away. It was agonizing.

‘Sherry endured this situation alone for hours.’

Barely two minutes had passed. The parts of my body attacked by the undead were necrotizing.

‘I clearly can’t win.’

Each of the countless undead was comparable to a high-tier 4th grade monster.

It would be a miracle to even hold out without being at the Guild Master’s or Kyle’s level.

‘My body won’t move.’

I forcibly pushed mana into my necrotized muscle tissue.

Every swing of my sword felt like flesh being torn from my body.

‘I have to do this.’

It would take several more minutes for the Guild Master to arrive.

Even if she came, victory wasn’t guaranteed.

But I couldn’t fall.

The fate to save the world. The Constellation’s choice.

It wasn’t for such grand reasons.

Simply.

‘I don’t want to give Shiro the same wound.’

I decided to live for her.

For her sake—she who had become my reason for existence—I had to survive here.

Therefore.

I will not die.

-ZIIING…!

The moment my sword strike, filled with that intense will, made contact with the undead—

-….

An instant of silence covered the battlefield.

The monsters stopped moving. No sound could be heard. Even the pain that had been gnawing at my mind disappeared.

…Time.

‘It stopped.’

Of course, I couldn’t move either.

However, I could feel some energy flowing through my body.

The energy was blue.

It was filled with will.

Though unfamiliar, I had felt this somewhere before.

‘The Watcher.’

Yes, I felt something similar when we defeated that being.

I clearly couldn’t move anymore.

Collapsing would be normal.

This was something impossible to accomplish.

It should have been a futile failure.

“…”

However.

-Saaaaa.

A wind blew within the frozen flow of time.

Wind normally has no form, but I could clearly feel it.

The wind represented not something predetermined, but one’s own will.

I think.

What must I do?

‘I want to protect someone precious to me.’

What must I do to accomplish that?

‘I must overcome the trial before me and move forward.’

How do I overcome that trial?

‘I need strength.’

The strength humans need to live their lives always comes from their own will.

And.

Just now, my will had finally taken form.

Now only one thing remained.

To overcome the trial blocking my goal.

‘Instantaneous Hardening.’

I hardened my gauntlet.

Now my fist contained my will.

‘I will survive.’

Not to return to Earth, not for anything else.

Just for a life with Shiro.

I swung my will.

-Kwung.

There was a small resonance.

Light erupted.

-KWAAAANG!

As brilliant radiance covered the area.

“…”

The undead surrounding me, and even the ground contaminated with demonic blood.

Everything within dozens of meters was annihilated.

But.

It was too early to relax.

The undead could revive no matter how many times they were killed.

The key was to eliminate the Corpse Collector itself.

‘I’ll support Kyle at his side.’

With that will, I kicked off the ground.

-KWUNG!

“I’m joining you.”

I instantly arrived at his side.

“Have you awakened the power of the Constellation?!”

Kyle showed surprise briefly, but quickly refocused on the battle.

Dozens of monsters were charging at once. There was no time to focus on conversation.

While helping maintain the front line, I shouted to him.

“Kyle! When the Guild Master arrives, we’ll immediately go after that huge creature! Leave the front line to me and replenish your strength!”

Having held the line alone against countless monsters, he must have used up considerable energy.

‘To kill it, we need Kyle’s holy power as a paladin.’

Without a priest, Kyle needed to fill that role.

“…Yes!”

Kyle slowed his pace and entrusted the overall battle to me.

I swung my sword lightly while reading the situation.

The front line had been pushed back considerably, putting us far from the Corpse Collector.

At this rate, it would be difficult to approach it even when the Guild Master arrived.

‘First, push back the front line.’

I briefly considered what I needed to do.

Push back monsters with a powerful impact?

No, I needed a stronger image.

A powerful goal that would completely reverse this situation.

Crush, crumple, break through.

“…Pierce through.”

Everything.

Pierce through all the monsters on this battlefield.

‘How’ was no longer important.

I had the purpose to crush them and the will to execute it.

‘I will succeed.’

With will, one never fails.

Even if I couldn’t fully achieve my goal, at least I wouldn’t move away from it.

“Huff…”

I infused my will.

In that will, I put my determination to stake everything on the next strike.

After taking a deep breath.

I swung my sword forcefully—

-KWAAAANG!

Blue light crushed and crumpled everything, piercing through the legion.

As a result.

[My friends, all dea—]

-KWAAAANG!

The Corpse Collector’s head was incinerated.

“…”

My sword strike, containing my everything, pierced through hundreds of meters.

Along with thousands of monsters,

It killed the Corpse Collector.

Normally, I should have been surprised by my impossible strength.

“I… I can’t see anything…”

“…Adel! Adel! Are you alright?!”

My vision went dark as if someone had turned off the power.